More than EVER

I want to be able to be a mere road trip away, not two flights and one stopover, away from home.

I want to be able to get jump the car and drive back when my mother needs her daughter.

I want to be able to be there to celebrate my grandmother's birthday, and my uncle's 30th wedding anniversary.

I want to be able to fly to Bangkok or Bali on a whim, and not have to spend (at least) 500 bucks on plane tickets just to get to the international terminal orto go to a good friend's wedding.

I want to have more than one Indian restaurant to choose from.

I want to be totally overwhelmed by choices, and not have to do soul searching every time the question of "Where to eat?" arises.

I want to be first, not last at the Zara sale.

I want my parents, brothers or cousins to spend a holiday or weekend at my house should they so wish.

I want to be able to do all of this with my weekend:

- Visit an art exhibition
- Watch a play in the theatre
- See the philharmonic orchestra
- Browse a flea market
- Shop at a hypermarket
- Drive to Malacca for popiah and shopping
- Take macaron baking lessons

I want to be able to consult another orthopaedic surgeon.

I want to be able to go shopping/for dinner/physiotherapy without bumping into colleagues.

I want to be able to drive and lean my head on AK's shoulder in the car without a colleague telling me about it the next day.

I want to be able to see my ex-schoolmates more often and make friends outside the office.

I can honestly say, after five years, I hate it here. I hate it here more than ever.

I am sick of small town, culture-less living.

Masala Chai

I have a new love, from India it comes.

The woodblock print placemat is from Anokhi, a beautiful ethical textile shop/boutique/cafe in Jaipur

Masala chai tea, or really really strong spiced tea.

I have never been a tea person. Coffee is, and always will be my caffeine of choice.

But sometimes (more often than not nowadays), a cup of sweet comfort, in all its spicy, milky goodness, is in order.

The miniature painting is from a handmade paper shop in Johari Bazaar, near the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur

I bought this adorable tin of tea in my attempt to spend the last of my rupees at the Mumbai Airport. Turns out all the prices were in US dollars :)

Now I worry about where I am going to get my fix once this stash runs out. Madhur Jaffrey has a recipe in her book - but I have to make 6 cups every time I feel like a fix. Hopefully I will be able to find some in Penang. Miri, of course, is hopeless.

Grammy Gold

So cool, this performance by Mumford & Sons, the Avett Brothers and Bob Dylan.



Just plain ol' music at its heady, euphoric best, devoid of the OTT stage effects and hype so commonplace in performances nowadays, from Lady Gaga's arrival in an egg-capsule-incubator, to Justin Bieber and Usher's acrobatic-ninja backup dancers, although I have to admit, the two guys put up a pretty cool dance show.

But it is, at the end of the day, the music that gets most of us. Other than that performance, John Mayer, Keith Urban and Norah Jones' rendition of Dolly Parton's Jolene, was just too short! The guitar melodies were just too cool for anything, and nothing short of beautiful.

Arsenal 2 Barcelona 1

Magnifique. Arsene Wenger's vision, which he persevered with despite years of criticism, his steadfast belief in his cut price purchases and mere boys, has come into fruition.

His team refused to be intimidated or submit to the at-first imperious Blaugrana, and what a match it was. I already watched it twice :) The second goal was just breathtaking and really just Wenger's vision in the flesh - Wilshere tapped to Fabregas, who somehow curled a long pass in which the ball landed neatly at Nasri's twinkling feet. Nasri then steadied himself and saw Arshavin running into the box unmarked - Andrei Arshavin, who in the words of the commentator, "has been the the butt of some criticism for some time" (I wouldn't have played him in this game to be honest, even he admitted to a lack of confidence in the last couple of weeks - another testament to Wenger's undying, stubborn belief in his boys) -who volleyed the ball into the corner of the net. Magnifique, I could only breathe when I watched the repeat of the whole chain of passes.

Here's hoping that Arsenal, now brimming with confidence, win the Carling Cup next Sunday, that darned Man United drop a couple more points, and most of all, that they take the beautiful game to the Nou Camp and beat Barca. Exciting days to come and Go Go Go Gunners!

Oh, and I can't help it, this is just too cute. He's all man on the pitch, but at the end of the day, Jack Wishere is still too shy to ask Leo Messi for his shirt, and had to get his Captain, Cesc Fabregas, at the ripe old age of 23, to ask for Messi's shirt for him. Which led to Cesc to tweet,"Jack Wilshere, can't believe I had to go get Messi's shirt for U. U were so scared. You were MOTM so next time please ask urself!"